The Boy Next Door
by Whispering Hope
Summary: To her, he was only just the boy next door.


**The Boy Next Door**

**Author: ** Whispering Hope

**Summary:** Harry gets a new neighbour – a girl he learns to like, like the sister he would never have. But when she makes him tell her a story – what happens? No pairings, one-shot.

**Warnings: ** Nil.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter and characters.

---

They were moving, well, again. Brown eyes refused to gaze at her surroundings as the car sped on, the only movement in the girl was the occasional curse she let out – the only evidence of her anger. She hated her mother's jobs and how much they had to transfer from one side of the country to another and then back again. She didn't like how they had to leave everything behind and move on ahead. She dreaded change.

"We're here, honey," her mother murmured as she stopped the car and opened her side of the door. "Come on, sweetheart, you'll like the house and your room. You get your own room this time." Not even the prospects of getting her own room cheered her up – she had made a promise to a friend to meet them this Sunday at the Library, but when she was a good ten-hour ride away…

She had never broken a promise before and it was growing on her conscience. Maybe a call and an apology would solve it – but she wasn't sure. She knew her friends would be disappointed, and there was still the unfulfilled wish of hearing her teacher finish the story of the really brave prince and how he was going to fight the dragon – maybe it meant she could never know the ending…

"Jasmine Hooper, if you don't get out of the car right now, you'll get it from me!" The little girl shook herself out from her thoughts and reluctantly opened the car door, grabbing her small bag and walked towards the huge house they were now going to call their home. "Oh, Jasmine darling, hurry up and then we can go meet the neighbours…" Her mother's voice sounded eager and she let out a little groan – she had forgotten about how they would have new neighbours, since they _moved_.

A deep dark feeling inside her told her she might not like her neighbours.

---

Her room was fine and it slightly cheered her up. The only thing was that the phone wasn't connected yet, so she couldn't contact her friend to apologise – but that was good, she hadn't written out her speech yet, and when she did, she knew her friends would pity her. So she sat on the sofa and waited, like her mother told her to – for the phones-person or whatever the word was to call a man who connected phone-lines. Ten minutes passed. Another five.

Bored became an understatement, so she snatched up a piece of paper that her mother had left to flutter on the table and a pencil from her pocket that she had forgotten all about since this morning and started doodling. Random thoughts ran through her mind again and then she remembered the dragon, which was three-quarters done thirty minutes later and took up most of the space.

The doorbell rang and she sprang to her feet, opening the door immediately without thought, glancing at the three, wait, four – the last boy was hiding behind the fatter one. There was a tall thin lady, which strangely looked a lot like the strict Maths teacher she once had – she wasn't going to be surprised if she found out that they would be related, and then there was this large beefy man carrying a small wrapped present, looking as though he didn't want to be here, but still smiling falsely. If he had teeth, she would have reckoned him to be a crocodile, or a crocodile's uncle. The fat boy seemed to be angry and sulking, refusing to glance towards the two adults and the last boy seemed nervous and happy…

"You're not the man who connects phone lines," she stated rather plainly and earned odd looked from all four of them.

"No, we're-"

"Strangers," she cut in. "Mommy told me never to talk to strangers." She closed the door.

From outside, the beefy man screamed, "We're your neighbours!"

Uh. _Oops? _She asked herself then wondered what her next path of action was.

A more feminine yet screechy voice shouted, "Vernon, keep calm, she's just a kid."

"Jasmine! Who's the banshee at the door?" Her mother's voice came from the top of the stairs. "Jasmine?"

"I don't know!" she yelled back, throwing nervous glances at the door every few seconds as the doorbell started ringing again and again and again and again. "I didn't do anything! I didn't slam the door in their faces!"

Her mother paused to look at her with doubting eyebrows, before she whispered, "I hope you didn't smash whatever they're giving us." Claming herself, she hid behind the sofa and peeked out as the couple exchanged words with her mother, the fatter boy staring inside the house in awe, while the thinner boy still seemed pretty nervous. She only caught her mother saying, "-want to come in?" The couple had a pretty disgusted face as they shook their heads, and the fatter boy followed suit, but the green-eyes boy seemed pretty interested.

A few seconds of conversation were exchanged, and her mother injected a few words as well – and soon only the green-eyes boy was invited in, much to her delight. He was the only one she had liked so far on appearance; she hoped it remained that way… but things look bleak. "Jasmine, I know you're hiding behind the sofa! Come out and meet Harry."

Warily, she stood up from her position and studied the boy even more closely not that she could in peace – he had green eyes she liked, holding a calmness she had never seen before, and he was smiling a real smile, unlike the other neighbours… "Hello," she whispered.

He nodded. "I'm Harry Potter. I'm their nephew and I live with them…"

She blinked. Now she knew why the other boy was fat and this one was thin. He obviously didn't have the genes that went in that family... Half giggling, she introduced herself. "I'm Jasmine Hooper and I don't like your aunt!" Quieting down, she ran closer to him, and tiptoed to whisper into his ear, "Is she really a banshee?"

She looked up and saw that he was staring – but he soon grinned. "I think so, but don't tell her I said that. She will kill me."

"But banshees can't kill! All they do is wail and wail when someone's going to die…" She gasped. "Don't tell me mummy's going to die!" Turning to her amused mother, she said, "Mummy, you can't die! You can't…"

"Jasmine!" One call of her name was enough to make her stop her acting, allowing her to laugh instead – and she enjoyed the surprised look on the neighbour's face. "Oh, Harry, don't mind her. She's real good at acting – and rather show-off at times."

"I see," was all Harry replied, but he was looking faintly amused.

"I promise not to tell your aunt about her being a banshee and I never ever break my promise!" She announced proudly and turned slyly to her mother. "Well, except a certain promise…"

Her mother sighed. "Jasmine, I'll call you when the man who connects the phone comes, okay? Now, you go off and introduce Harry to our…" She looked around before adding, "To our half-decorated house." She turned to Harry and spoke apologetically, "I'm sorry but the furniture are in another truck only arriving tomorrow…"

"It's okay," Harry muttered back. "I'm glad to get away from the…" He looked at Jasmine, grinning, "I'm glad to get away from the banshee."

"Mmh," Jasmine made an intelligible noise and then grabbed his hand suddenly. "Come on, you've gotta see my room!" He barely put up resistance as she dragged him by his hand up the flight of stairs into her room in its bare glory – with only a bed and a desk in it. The rest were arriving tomorrow and soon, she hoped.

"It's a nice room," he managed at last. "Bigger than mine, anyway."

She studied him curiously. "My room isn't _that_ big, I mean, I know people who have had bigger rooms." Looking around, an aura of silence seemed to surround them as she tried to figure what Harry might want to do. "Erm, Harry? Can I call you Harry?" He only nodded. "Oh, good. I was wondering what you would like to do now."

"I don't know, I'm fine with anything," Harry replied and she frowned.

"Anything?" If Jasmine's mother had been here, she would have warned Harry about the sly tone that Jasmine was now using, but since she wasn't, and since Harry barely knew Jasmine…

"Anything," Harry agreed.

The girl smiled happily. "Tell me a story… No, not just any story," she quickly said, as Harry seemed to open his mouth to start. "I'll tell you a bit of how it starts, and then you'll have to continue the story. Okay? Okay?" Harry nodded, and then he sat down on the computer chair in her room, while Jasmine had the honor of sitting on her own bed.

Clearing her throat and trying to sound professional, she began the story of the really brave prince and the dragon – or at least what she knew of it so far.

---

There was a prince from times ago, who was said to be descended from two of the four greatest heroes – and had the power of both in his blood. He had powers of both houses, even though both houses were enemies and rivals since the beginning of time. The prince had no name, even up to today, but it was often said he had a sign upon his forehead.

Now, you see, every year, the land held a contest between the different countries and the different princes of each house in the countries, and strangely, the prince was chosen to represent his country, even though he was somewhat too young. However, he had good friends, and these good friends were willing to help him.

"Your first task is to fight a dragon," the land told all three princes chosen from the three countries.

"Is that all?" the arrogant one asked.

"A dragon?" the second asked.

The Prince kept silent.

"Maybe, maybe not," the land answered and refused to say anymore.

"A dragon," the arrogant snorted. "Ha, as easy as eating blindfolded."

"That's not easy," the second said fearfully.

"What?" the first roared in anger. "You underestimate me?"

The Prince watched them argue, shaking his head, but he too, was fearful. A _dragon_? All he knew about them was about how the lands had forbid anyone to raise a dragon – and that dragon's blood was use in many spells. He knew that, because he had a friend who was a witch. Deciding to take the chance, he approached his witch friend…

---

Jasmine finished her first part of the story and then nodded at Harry. "It's your turn to start."

He was silent, and she found herself watching him carefully, as he blinked and nodded, smiling.

---

The witch heard of his plight and lent him her broomstick – "Just don't ruin it!" – after which she then spent the many following weeks trying to teach him how to fly one. He was a genius at it, but it wasn't strange, seeing how one of the two houses he had descended from was a house of witches. He hadn't heard of how the other two Princes were, and he decided to only concentrate on his training.

Sometimes, when the witch wasn't at home, the witch's companion – a jester – would be his instructor, though the jester wasn't as good, he knew the basics, and he knew the tricks. Under these two, he trained hard.

That day came when he had to take on a dragon. The Prince took the broom to where the other princes would gather, and the arrogant one teased him while the other never came at all. A messenger from his country then announced him sick – and the first prince started making rude remarks on how stupid the second prince was. The Prince didn't bother to say anything, only gripping the broomstick even harder.

"Prince, you will go towards that first cave," the land spoke. It directed the first prince to another.

He went it, crawled, climbed, until he reached the heart of the cave, which was board and wide and tall enough to reach the sky. A dragon stood there, glaring.

"You human, have you come to take my blood?"

"No," the Prince replied, "I have come by the land's orders, to fight you."

The dragon snorted. "Defeat me?"

"No," the Prince said, "but to fight you."

---

"I don't get it," Jasmine interrupted. "Not to defeat the dragon?"

"It's a playing of the words, the land never said to _defeat_ the dragon, but only to fight it," Harry explained. "May I carry on?"

---

The dragon laughed, and the cave shook. "You are a clever one, my Prince. When did you learn that?"

"I figured it out," he answered modestly, "but mostly when I was with the jester. The jester always knows."

"The jester, the weasel," the dragon said amusedly. "Very well, Prince, stab me with your sword."

"I will fight you fairly," the prince opposed.

"No, I order you."

The order of the dragon was as powerful as the land, so the Prince took out his sword and tried to stab the dragon in it toes, but the sword flew from his hands before he had even placed the sword a inch near the dragon's toes. Surprised, he picked up his sword and looked up at the dragon.

"You have fought me, as the land demands. Return to land, Prince, and tell the land of your glory."

And so that was what the Prince did, returning to the land, and they waited for the first prince. He never came out.

---

The door opened, interrupting Harry's story – and Jasmine couldn't decided whether to be glad or angry when her mother told her that the phone had been connected. "About time," her mother said dryly, "because I think it's time for Harry to go home."

Harry stood up, thanking her mother for letting him come over.

"Don't worry, boy, you can come over anytime and finish that story for Jasmine. It's something she's wanted ever since her teacher told her that story."

Jasmine followed him downstairs and watched him cross over to his uncle's house, and she spent minutes sitting on the sofa, trying to figure out what she had been wanting to do when she suddenly remember the phone was connected. Dialing in a number, she asked, "May I speak to Dew, please? Can you tell her this is Jasmine?"

---

Harry didn't know what made him tell her that story – a story of his life he warped to fit the beginning of hers. He remembered how she had first opened the door, and how she had slammed it calmly in their faces. He nearly couldn't resist laughing at the look on Uncle Vernon's face – only just remembered at the last second to keep it in.

Jasmine… Hooper, was it? She seemed interesting and a cheerful little girl – perhaps even more joyful than any one he had ever met, but maybe it was because she was a Muggle and knew nothing of the war. Yes, Muggle – she never reacted to his name and neither did her mother. Most people did, or at least most people he knew did, either curiously if not scornfully.

He couldn't wait to finish the story. Strange, but he wanted to tell this odd Muggle girl the story, almost a compulsion. Almost as if he really had to…

"Harry!" He winced slightly, looking out of his window down at the streets, and he saw her standing outside on the pavement. "You want to come over again?" He thought she looked rather excited and happier than before.

He ran his blank timetable through his mind, than remember the homework and how Ron had sent him an Owl, telling him that he would be invited over next week. "I can't," he said, "I need to finish my homework."

Her face looked so disappointed, and he felt a surge of guilt.

"Bye," she mouthed and then he saw her run back into her house.

---

Jasmine growled angrily into her pillow and threw it like she had done to Teddy, Bear and Spot – the bear triplets that were her birthday present. In her mind, all she could think of now was how much she hated everyone. Even her mother. Her mother worse of all.

"Honey, I'm not sure if that boy is a good friend," her mother had started, and she had stared at her. "I mean, he goes to St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys, darling, and _that_ isn't a very good school."

She had snorted. "So you're examining my friends now? What friends do I have after you moved me forcefully from where we lived? Where I could play with Dew everyday? Where the library was so close, I didn't have to stay home every single second, every single minute every single moment I live?"

"I-" Her mother was speechless.

That was how she ended up here, in her room, while her mother was sobbing downstairs. She didn't care how her mother felt, didn't care how much her mother was crying. She missed her daddy, missed her daddy terribly. Her eyes were wet, she suddenly realised, and she felt like she wanted to cry forever.

"Jasmine?" she heard someone call out from outside her door. It was Harry's voice. _Harry? _"Can I come in?" She didn't answer, but only stared at the door fearfully. "I can tell you more of the story." The tempting offer of his overruled her embarrassment in letting him see her cry, but that didn't stop her from rubbing her eyes on her blanket before opening the door and locking it behind him. "Are you okay?"

She didn't answer, only holding onto him and taking in deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves.

"Jasmine?"

"Story," she managed hoarsely, "story."

---

The land told him, "The one who passed my test is the chosen to save these lands. Only you will defeat the Menace that is hunting down all." The voice of the land sounded worried, and that worried the Prince.

"Who is Menace?" he asked curiously.

"Menace is one of those descended from the evil house," the land replied.

"The evil house…"

"Yes, he is a relation of yours, though the bond is weak."

"I must fight him?"

"You are the only one who can," the land assured him firmly. "You are the only one who can save our world."

The rest of the country heard what the Prince said the land had told him, and some didn't believe him. Others said the same, but deep inside rejoiced at the mention of the Dark Lord. The rest told the Prince they would fight to the last man.

The Prince's friends – Jester and Witch heard it too, and they told him that they believed him no matter what – and they decided that they needed force, perhaps people their age who could help them to fight off Menace. Witch passed word around and many interested soon flocked to an arranged meeting, where they trained in swordplay and witchery.

However, it did not all go smoothly. One of those in the force chose to betray the others and one of Menace's henchmen came to try to kill everyone. Somehow, the henchman lost all memory and forgot who he was and he never harmed anyone ever again. This incident only told the Prince how good Menace was at getting supporters. He knew the final battle was about to begin…

---

The rain was beautiful, Jasmine concluded, and it wasn't the heaven crying for the earth. It rained, because rain was beautiful. She told that to Harry, but he had said it didn't make sense. It made sense to her, somehow and was comforting in a very odd way. She loved the sky after it rained…

"Jasmine?"

She still wasn't on speaking terms with her mother. Breakfast was Silent while Lunch was Ignorance and Dinner… She didn't even want to think about Dinner. Her mother didn't even make dinner. So maybe she could put Dinner down as… Forgotten. Yes, that seemed like a good idea, and yes, she'll tell Teddy, Bear and Spot about it.

"Jasmine…?"

Her mother… Jasmine chose not to reply, choosing to turn to the bears. "Breakfast was Silence. You know, no one spoke?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Then came Lunch. Lunch was Ignorance. We never saw each other."

"Jasmine…"

"Oh, Dinner? Dinner was Forgotten, Teddy."

There were sobs, and she heard someone running down the stairs.

"There was no Dinner at all."

---

"Yes, David, you can have her. I don't need her anyone. She doesn't like me anyway. She wants to live back there, with all her friends… No, she doesn't have any friends here…"

Harry watched from the window as the lady crossed the room, all the while talking on the phone. What was Jasmine's mother talking about?

"Jasmine would be much happier living with you. Yes, I don't care about the fact I got Jasmine from the divorce. You can have her back."

The divorce? Harry blinked, confused. Then he realised why he never saw Jasmine's father. But did that mean… Jasmine was leaving? He was going to Ron's house tomorrow… and he had wanted… He had wanted to tell her he couldn't finish the story. He didn't know the ending yet…

---

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm going to live with Daddy now because Mommy doesn't want me anymore. I would like to stay and listen to the story, but I cannot. You see, Daddy is waiting for me to be done and go back with him to where I used to live before Mommy and Daddy separated. There, I can meet my friends again, and I can hear teacher's story again._

_But don't worry. I'll tell them your story. I'll tell them about the brave prince and how he tricked Menace. But I won't end it there, because this is what I've thought: Sometimes stories have no endings. You have to find it yourself. Maybe one day you'll find the ending to this story… Maybe._

_I'll miss you there, but I won't forget you, Harry. You were my friend, so I won't ever forget you. Never. Say goodbye to the banshee for me? Just joking._

_Yours truly,_

_Jasmine Hooper._

Harry let the letter fall, and he stared at it. After a while, he picked it up and placed it gently on the table. "I'll find the ending for the story. I know I will."

---

It was five years after she had moved from living with her mother to living with her father. Jasmine didn't know what had happened to her mother after the day she had left, but it was when the Wizards came. Some of them murdered, while others murdered those that killed everyone. A war, they had said, a war between their people – the Witches and Wizards. They had been trying to shield mortals from the war, but they couldn't now…

Surprisingly, even though she wasn't one of them witches or wizards, Jasmine knew everything. Everything from the start of the war to the current situation… Her stepmother was a witch, even if she wasn't. Her stepsibling was half-wizard. However much she had hated her stepmother for bringing her father away from her mother was gone now, vanquished when her stepmother went out to pretend she was the only one living there, so as to save the children. Her father had gone with her…

They were dead. She watched as they were killed, by a stick – wand, she corrected herself.

She hoped someone would come soon… Someone would save them soon, she wished. The wicked had been gone a while ago, but she was still frightened that they would come back and harm her stepbrother…

There was a loud noise and a shout of words. The door was then opened, and she winced, keeping her hand on her brother's mouth to prevent him from making a sound.

"There's nobody here," a voice said.

"Nonsense, you saw the attackers that Harry killed. There is someone inside."

The attackers… were killed? Jasmine blinked. Was this someone they could trust? Was this… a good person?

"A witch, or a muggle?" the first voice asked.

"If it's a muggle, she or he won't come out. They'll think we're the bad guys," a third voice replied.

"Alright, you in there. We're the good people. We've come to rescue you!" the first voice yelled.

"Not so loud, Ron, it'll scare them away."

Rescue? Jasmine decided to take a chance, signaling to her brother to wait silently while she go up and approached the trio that were in her house. She walked carefully, and then she asked, "Are you the good wizards?"

They blinked. "See, I didn't scare her away," the redhead said. From past words, she inferred he was Ron. "Gee, Harry, not to know you, she must be a muggle… but she knows about wizards?"

"Most people do now," the female remarked. "What's your name?"

"I'm Jasmine. Muggle," she answered. "But my stepmother is… was a witch."

"Oh," the girl said. "I see. In any case, you'll come with us."

"Wait," Jasmine said, then went and pulled her stepsibling out.

"Brave, aren't you?" the other male asked. "Coming out first to see the danger."

"I promised my father," Jasmine said confidently. "And he's half-wizard, so you had better take care of him."

"Wait, you trust us?" the girl asked.

She shook her head, smiling, then pointed at the boy she didn't know the name of. "I trust him."

---

Truthfully, she didn't know why she had dragged her brother out. They might have been lying… She might have been tricked, but she trusted that strange boy… She knew him… somehow. They were given a safe place – the trio had called it Hogwarts, and they said it was the safest place anyone could find.

Dinner was good, and even her brother said so. But none distracted her from the task she needed to do. She ran through almost the entire castle, asking the talking portraits for directions and getting little shocks at the moving staircases, but soon she found herself at the entrance of the castle. There were people there, and all of them seemed confident of going into the war they were going into.

She found him quick enough, and walked towards him. The others, by now were getting all their last things ready.

"Who are you?" she asked when he could hear her. "Who are you?"

He blinked at her. "Huh? Oh, you. What's your name?"

"Jasmine Hooper. But what about you? Who are you?"

He was smiling. "I may be a warrior, a wizard, a prince… or maybe just the plain boy next door."

---

She watches him go. She hopes he will be back to finish the story he had started.

Owari


End file.
